1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print management device, a print management method, a print management storage medium, and a print system. More specifically, the invention relates to a print management device, a print management method, a print management storage medium, and a print system in a system which performs printing including plural print processes using, e.g., a machine (press) plate or an image forming device having a so-called print function for forming an image on a recording medium by a printer or the like of an electrophotographic scheme or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional printing (for example, offset printing), intermediate products such as printing paper for a photo composition or the like (photographic printing paper), a block copy, a halftone negative, halftone positive, and a PS plate (printing plate) are generated. On the basis of the intermediate products, printing, book binding, and the like are performed.
As shown in FIG. 7, for example, print processes are constituted by an imposition process, an RIP process, a CTP process, a printing machine process, a folding machine process, a cutting machine process, and a binding machine process. The imposition process is a process of determining an image position obtained by a layout, and the RIP process is a process of forming image data for printing on the basis of layout data. The CTP process is a process of forming a printing plate from image data, and the printing machine process is a process of performing printing using a printing plate. The folding machine process is a process of folding a printed medium depending on specifications, the cutting machine process is a process of cutting the printed and folded medium according to the specifications, and the binding machine process is a process of binding the printed, folded, and cut medium depending on the specifications. These print processes are independently performed, and include independent processes performed in the steps.
In recent years, along with the popularization of DTP (DeskTop Publishing/Plate-making), “direct printing” or “on-demand printing” which directly performs printing from DTP data is known. In DTP, the following print processing is prevalent. That is, print data obtained by processing a page layout on a computer is formed on photographic printing paper, a process film, or the like, and, on the basis of these papers or films, a printing plate is formed to perform printing. Further, a CTP (Computer To Plate) process which directly forms a printing plate by electronic data without generating intermediate products is attracting attention. As a device which can be used in such print processing, an image forming device such as a printer or a copying machine having a print function is known.
However, although this DTP makes it possible to perform some processes of printing of peripheral devices of the image forming device by circulation of electronic data, it cannot be used in all processes of the print processing. In addition, DTP cannot be easily applied to conventional print processes.
As a control method for automating a print work flow, CIP4 proposed by Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG is known. Not only a printer vender but also prepress and postpress processes have been compatible with CIP4. In this manner, abstract instruction to detailed instruction for a device, image processing, and operations are given to half-automate print processes which are manually performed in a conventional technique.
In recent years, as shown in digital color proofing or on-demand printing, merging of printing techniques and electrophotographic techniques is observed. However, since work flows of these techniques are different from each other, at present, instructions are given to the devices by independent standards when these techniques are automated.